The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved construction of a screw or worm mixer, and, more specifically, relates to a new and improved screw or worm mixer comprising a downwardly tapering container or receptacle and a conveying and mixing screw or worm protruding from above into the container.
Conventional commercially available screw mixers comprise a downwardly tapering container possessing a circular frustro-conical shape and a conveying and mixing screw or worm protruding from above into the container. The screw is located close to the wall of the container and conveys the material to be mixed from the bottom towards the top. Such mixers are thus also called conical screw or worm mixers. Usually the screw or worm also performs a movement about the container axis in addition to a rotation about its own axis, whether such is because the screw is guided along the wall of the container or because that the container is rotated about its axis and the screw is stationary.
Such mixing apparatuses are therefore mechanically complicated, since in addition to the drive means for generating a rotational movement of the screw further drive means and supporting or bearing means are also required for the relative movement of the screw and the container.